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Chapter 16

ChapterSixteen

He was breaking so many rules by being here. Alistair gulped one last time and looked back to the shores of Wildecliff. The boat he’d chartered to take him across was an old Waterdown ship that usually brought produce to his city. The man said he came daily with orders back and forth across the shore and was more than happy to take a person. For a price.

Alistair didn’t worry about the coin. His family had plenty of that. What he did worry about was his father catching wind that an Orbweaver had gotten on a boat headed to Waterdown.

He adjusted the cloak around his head to make sure no part of his brightly colored hair was visible. People knew of him. They knew his family. All it would take was one person realizing that he’d snuck off, and then all of this would end. His father would torture him until he forgot how to breathe.

No one had seen him, though, and now he had to let these worries melt away.

Because today he got to see her again. After three weeks, he finally got to see her.

Alistair turned his face to the breeze and to Waterdown that revealed itself on the horizon. He reminded himself of their plan. She would meet him at the docks, alone. Her family had a lot to prepare for, apparently, and that meant that she was the only one who could spare some time away from the festivities. They would then, of course, meet her family while they headed up to the Beltane festival, which was in the northernmost part of Waterdown.

Most of this was foreign to him. He had no idea how to celebrate Beltane in the old ways. His family only celebrated in a very modern way, which was to say very little celebration at all.

He let the cloak fall away from his face at the very last moment and straightened the vest he wore underneath it. He didn’t know how to dress for a Beltane festival, and he hoped that he wasn’t overdressed. But the light brown tweed pants he wore had to be suitable, even down to the shiny black shoes on his feet. He wore a matching tweed vest over a pale white shirt and hoped that was enough not to make him stand out overly much.

The boat approached one of the nearest docs, and the man behind him shouted, “Here’s the town, boy!”

Though he knew better than to trust a salty seaman who had been weathered and beaten down by the elements, he still left an additional coin on the barrel where he had placed his original payment. “For safe passage. And, I assume that you will be ready for the return trip tomorrow morning?”

The man worked his jaw and then grinned, revealing a few teeth were missing. “How early are we talking?”

“Sunrise.”

He rolled his eyes, but the greed for coin was stronger than his desire for the festival. “That’s fine, then. I don’t mind coming a little early if there’s more coin to be had. Off with you. Hopefully, you find yourself a May Queen.”

Alistair didn’t know what that meant, but he already knew in his soul that he’d found one. If there was to be a queen, Thea was the only one that sparkled in his eyes. Not for her beauty, although that was undeniable, and certainly not for her wit, for she was rather odd. But because looking at her made his soul feel full, and he had never felt that before.

For good measure, he placed another coin on the barrel. “Sunrise,” he reminded the old man.

“Hard to forget.”

Alistair walked up to the edge of the shallow barge and reached for a pole that braced the dock. There were bundles of rope splayed out all over the wooden surface as though no fisherman worried that someone would trip over the bundle and land in the sparkling waves. Perhaps they didn’t care. There were four other boats docking at the same time, as well. All of those sailors were shouting orders and tossing crates of food, wine, and mead up into the arms of those who waited for the goods.

The air was filled with sound-–shouts of men, the laughter of women, the creaking of ropes, and the slosh of waves against wooden surfaces. He’d never thought that a harbor could be so loud. But then again, he supposed it must be similar in Wildecliff when one wasn’t sneaking off in the early morning light.

“Alistair!” His name echoed over the heads of the people in front of him.

He knew that voice. He’d know it anywhere. Stretching his considerable height from his normal hunch, he peered over the crowd, trying to find her. But there were too many people. It would have been easier to look through a telescope while he was in the boat than it was to stand here in the midst of the crowd.

A large man with a beard gave him a strange look, then gruffly told him to move.

A lady with her arms full of what looked like wheat snorted when he didn’t move and then whispered how he wasn’t from here.

And suddenly, all that noise and sound became a little more overwhelming than he’d expected. His palms slicked with sweat; his eyes turned left to right, but he couldn’t find any familiar faces. Worst of all, he had the strange sensation of spinning, even though he was standing still.

Then, as though compelled by a spell, the crowd parted. She stood at the end of the dock, wearing a pretty lavender gown with a square neckline and a trim waist that made her look even smaller than she was. Her dark hair was pulled back from her face with a little bow that had tails flying behind her head as she frantically waved at him.

She was so pretty.

No, it was more than that. She wasn’t just pretty, she was....

He touched a hand to his heart and realized that the feeling in his chest was something he had never felt with anyone else. Thea was his favorite feeling, even though he didn’t have a name for it.

Alistair pulled the cloak free from his shoulders and laid it over his arm as he meandered through the crowd. He knew where she was now. Time would rush by them no matter how hard he tried to slow it down, and he wanted to savor each footstep that drew him to her side. Carefully stepping over a bundle of rope, skirting around a bucket of fish that was still flopping inside, and then he was there. Right in front of her.

The wind toyed with her hair, smoothing it over the velvet soft curves of her cheeks. The smile on her face lit up his entire soul.

“You’re here!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t think you’d come.”

“Why not?”

She shrugged. “It’s a long way. And I didn’t think your father would let you.”

Considering his father had no idea he was here, she was correct about that. He rubbed the back of his neck and let out a little laugh. “Well, about that...”

Apparently, she didn’t care to hear about his family’s troubles, and for that, he was grateful. The last thing he wanted to talk about was how his father would skin him alive for being here or how he needed to find a way out of that house, or he feared he would end up dead.

Thea danced on her toes only two words into his reply, so he stopped himself and watched with an amused half smile as she wiggled in front of him. “Did you have something you wanted to say?”

She pulled her hand out from behind her and revealed the flower crowns she had hidden. Two of them. One made with the prettiest of yellow honeysuckle and another made with beautiful red tulips.

He could smell them without even leaning toward them. The bright, crisp scent of their petals filled the air with the promise of spring. The smell was directly from the earth and so vibrant it made something in his chest twist.

“What are these?” he asked.

“You have to wear flowers during the Beltane festival! It’s a May celebration. We’re celebrating the feminine wrapping around the masculine, and a time for the earth to turn over into something new.” A blush spread across her cheeks as though roses had kissed her skin. “Here. Let me.”

He leaned his head down and let her place the tulips on top of his head. He wouldn’t mention that he knew the meaning of these flowers. Red tulips were a declaration of love, and though he knew she wouldn’t say the words so soon, it still made his chest swell with pride.

He reached for the honeysuckle in her hands, taking it out of her grip so that he could place it on top of her head himself. Because honeysuckle meant devoted affection, and he wanted her to know he felt that way. He was entirely devoted to her, as mad as it sounded.

“There,” he said with a smile. “Now we are both adorned. What next?”

She blinked at him, seemingly lost in her own thoughts, before she shook herself free from them. “Ah, well, Máthair and my sisters are a little ahead of the plans, surprisingly. Everyone is in the town square, so we can hurry there and start eating!”

“Eating?” He glanced up at the sky and saw the sun hadn’t even reached its peak yet. “It’s hardly even noon.”

“Beltane festivals are about eating until you can’t eat anymore. Then you take a small break for any of the festivities; the may pole, the may queen announcement, offerings to the fae, or the bonfires.” She ticked off each of the options on her fingers. “But regardless, the food is the best part of the festival. My mother is an especially good cook, and I helped a lot this year as well.”

He’d try anything she made. Although, he hoped it was tasty because he’d never managed to fake enjoying a food he didn’t like.

Alistair let her drag him through the town and tried his best not to focus on how strange this place was compared to his home. Waterdown was... warm? Everything was warm. That was the only way he knew how to describe it.

Every house was a different color as they walked down the main street. Yellows, blues, even a couple of pink houses, which startled him so much he almost dragged Thea back to look at it. The cobblestone streets weren’t even remotely orderly. Different sized stones, some even as small as his fist, all interwoven together to create a flat surface. And then there were the windows. Hundreds of windows all in different colors, so if the sun shone through them, they cast rainbows on the ground.

He’d never thought that Waterdown would look like this. Even his wildest dreams could not have conjured such a place.

Bright yellow bouquets hung from every doorway. He supposed that it must be in celebration for Beltane as well, although he didn’t know why. And he didn’t have the time to ask as Thea dragged him through the streets to the center of town, where countless tables were all set up around the central well.

Brightly colored banners and flowers hung above their heads, strung between the buildings. And the food! She hadn’t said enough about the food because there were mounds of it on every table.

His eyes couldn’t soak in enough of the bounty he saw in every direction. His father had made it sound as though the people in Waterdown were struggling. Suffering, even. But this was the town center of a city that had all it needed. This was a city with means.

Thea waved over her head again, jumping up and down for someone’s attention. And as he followed the direction she looked in, he saw three women who looked almost exactly like Thea.

There were more of her?

He was in so much trouble.

Not that he minded meeting her family. It was an honor to be brought all this way. And yet, seeing them in person felt a lot more real. He had expected to court her in the same way he would in Wildecliff. Away from everyone’s sight until they were ready to get married, and then they would tell their families their decision and hope that both sides agreed. Everyone in Wildecliff was secretive and hard-pressed to share their world or their thoughts. They weren’t likely to introduce each other to their families too soon.

But here, he could see how close everyone was. The neighbors all pointed at each other and laughed. There were people visibly hugging, and so many smiles were all around. In Wildecliff, it was strange to see someone smiling. Sinister, almost.

Thea grabbed his hand again and dragged him toward the table where her mother and two sisters sat. “I know you haven’t met them before, but don’t be nervous.”

“I’m not nervous.” He lied. Of course, he was nervous. In fact, he thought if he swallowed wrong that he might throw up all over her.

“It’s going to be fine, you’ll see.” She squeezed his fingers and dragged him over to the table.

He remembered her mother. The tall, graceful woman had stood up to his father in a way that only she could have done. Her bravery had made him melt even then. A year later, she didn’t show a single change, as though the world knew how beautiful she was and how they would all be unlucky to see an ounce of her allure disappear.

Thea’s two sisters were stunning as well. He nodded at them, trying very hard not to blush bright red because they were so remarkable, and he felt as though he were very much overdressed. Her sisters also wore different shades of purple, though their sundresses were comfortable, while he looked too formal. And of course, her mother wore a bright green sundress with hand-stitched yellow flowers embroidered along the hemline.

“Have a seat,” Fenna said with a bright smile. “You’re welcome at our table, Alistair Orbweaver.”

He winced at his name. He wasn’t embarrassed by his family name. There was nothing he could do to change that, but it still felt strange to have her call him by name when he knew she didn’t like his family.

Sitting down on the bench with them, he held his hands in his lap and tried very hard not to look too suspicious. Or strange. Or awkward. Really, any of the things his brothers had called him for the entirety of his life.

Thea didn’t seem to notice a change in him. She chattered on with her sisters, talking about how many boats were in the harbor and what they were bringing before she grabbed his plate in front of him.

“Are you hungry?” she asked, those big eyes reflecting the earth and warm chocolate upon him.

He blinked a few times, then nodded. “I suppose so.”

“Good, because I think you’ll like the quiche Máthair made. It’s lamb and wild mushroom, one of my favorites!” She piled the quiche slices onto his plate, then added two sweet treats. “Belladonna and Marigold made the hot cross buns this year. They made enough for the entire village to eat.”

“Oh hush,” the eldest sister said. The one he assumed was Belladonna. “We made enough for us and the quill maker.”

“You could just call him by name, given the situation.”

“I refuse to do that.” Belladonna sniffed but then pushed a small platter toward him. “You have to try the shortbread as well. Thea made it.”

Alistair looked at the shortbread with far more interest. He could take a slice, even though he’d never had shortbread before. He didn’t think, at least.

Thea nudged it closer. “It’s lavender and lemon. I’m going to leave half of it for Brighid, since she’s our household deity. She’ll like it, at least, I think.”

Even though his plate was already quite full, he placed a slice of her shortbread in the middle of it all. “Thank you, Thea.”

She smiled at him, and all his worries faded away. Her family might not like him, and he might be afraid of what would happen the rest of the day. But right now, they were eating together. Their first meal shared.

Nothing would ruin this moment for him.

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